Shiny Strands Lice Resources

What to do Before & After Your Appointment

In the past, head lice was not fully researched making the after head lice process overwhelming. Thanks to concerned pediatricians and scientists, head lice is now more fully understood making life easier. After determining your child has lice and receiving a lice removal treatment you should:

Inform friends that your child had head lice and they should have their children checked.

Tell the school nurse so a note can be sent home to parents in your child’s classroom.

Wash sheets, pillowcases, towels and clothes used by the child in the last 24 hours.

Put stuffed animals, pillows and comforters in the dryer for 40 minutes (read labels to ensure the materials can be placed in the drier without being ruined).

Put all combs, brushes and hair accessories in a Ziploc bag and place in the freezer overnight.

Lightly vacuum all couches and chairs in the house.

Keep longer hair tied hair back.

Spray a mint spritz on the hair every day before leaving the house for the next 6 weeks.

Comb with a nit-comb everyday for 5 days until you come back for a follow-up appointment.

Comb with a nit-comb every 5 days for 15 days after your follow-up appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is head lice? Head lice, Pediculus Capitis, are parasites that spend their entire lives on the human scalp. They cling to the hair while feeding, mating and laying eggs. Head lice are most commonly found on individuals with good hygiene and grooming habits. Head lice are bloodsucking, wing-less insects with a hard exoskeleton and three pairs of legs ending in claws. An adult louse is 2 to 3 mm long (the size of a sesame seed).

What is the head lice life cycle? There are 3 life stages for lice – egg, baby and adult. The egg (nit) is attached to the human hair with an extremely strong glue. Female lice lay approximately 5 eggs twice a day. The eggs incubate for 7 to 10 days. After hatching, the baby lice (nymph) grow into adults within 7 to 10 days. Once full-grown the female lice have to only mate once to lay eggs everyday for the rest of their 30 day life.

How can I get head lice? 98% of all head lice transfers are from head-to-head contact (hugging, reading a book together, etc…). Head lice cannot jump or fly and you cannot get or give head lice to your pets. However, head lice that are warm and well-fed can move quickly from hair to hair and scalp to scalp. Approximately, 2% of the time, indirect transmission occurs through lice-carrying objects such as brushes, combs, hats and athletic gear. It is important that sharing of such objects is kept to a minimum, but since head lice cannot live off the head for more than 24 hours, sharing of items is not as big of an issue.

Can head lice go away on their own? No, head lice cannot go away without corrective action. Left untreated, head lice will continue to multiply and eventually infest your entire family. Head lice cannot be removed through blow drying, flat-ironing or vigorous shampooing. The head lice eggs use glue to stay in the hair while head lice babies and adults use their claws.

How many lice can there be on my head? This is an example of a head left untreated for lice. This assumes that only 1 adult bug was on the persons head at the start. Many times 5 to 6 adults can crossover to start the infestation.

Week

Adults

Eggs

Babies

1

1

60

0

2

1

60

60

3

61

3,660

60

4

61

3,660

3,660

5

3,660

219,600

3,660

What is wrong with the lice removal products I can buy at the local drugstore or with a prescription? There are two reasons why not to purchase drugstore and prescription products to remove lice. First, they only kill the adult lice. They do not kill the eggs. The product needs to be continually applied to ensure newly hatched lice are killed. Second, continual application can be dangerous. The chemicals in the products have been linked to central nervous system problems, autism, ADHD and general ill-health. The odors are offensive and often cause headaches and dizziness.

What is wrong with home remedies? There is nothing wrong with home remedies. However, they are often extremely messy and you still need to comb and pick to ensure all the eggs (nits) are removed.

Do head lice carry disease? No, head lice do not carry disease. However, they do disturb sleep and cause your immune system to weaken.

What are the tell-tale signs of head lice? There are no tell-tale signs of head lice. Only 50% of all infected people itch from the lice bites. Some people experience a low-grade fever, bags under the eyes and a rash at the nape of the neck.